Redressing grievances

While people like me were shaking their heads and not justifying with a response the shrill, accusatory blatherings of extremists in this country, pathological narcissists coopted the First Amendment.

Consequently, those who oppose war in Iraq are obviously left-wing liberal, tree-hugging, Satan-worshipping welfare cheats who love Saddam Hussein, while those who support it are all family-oriented, God-fearing, upstanding patriots who love our troops. Anything in between is too complicated to squeeze into a “debate” of screamed epithets, the likes of which fill the media and lack even a shred of resemblance to my own perspective.

I support the troops.

With every intonation of my constant prayer I beseech the Divine to protect and care for every single member of our own and our allied forces, their families, and the people whom they seek to assist, and to bring about a swift and clear conclusion to this war. To those who serve, I extend my allegiance, as I respect their allegiance to the Commander-in-Chief, and to the notion that they are fighting evil. Let it be so. And let them all be paid a living wage, so their families aren’t forced to move in with relatives while they are deployed. So they can afford to buy wheelchairs for their afflicted children, since their privatized insurance program doesn’t. So they can buy an extra candy bar now and then, without having to mentally calculate the financial impact on their family.

I do not support the war.

I detest with all the grit of my being the decision to commit so many precious young lives into this grave, awful conflict. I expect more from the gifted, Godly and blessed, who have enjoyed the greatest luxuries and opportunities available to the human species. From those who have risen to lead the most powerful, influential tribe on the planet, I expect the ability to outsmart instead of out-bully a psychopathic, desert dictator.

I support free speech.

I do not believe dissent equates with “aiding and comforting the enemy,” but I respect the right of anyone to hold that opinion. It’s when people begin to suffer for the expression of dissent, when they are denied opportunities based solely on their opinions that we have abandoned free speech in favor of oppression. It’s then that we become what we profess to hate in our enemy. Insecurity cannot tolerate challenge, and thus answers opposition with threats and intimidation.

I support the draft.

I believe everyone, without exception, should have to serve this country for at least two years. In times of peace, there are plenty of understaffed nursing homes, child-care centers, after-school programs and soup kitchens. There are plenty of vacant lots that could use cleaning and plenty of houses that need to be built for low-income people. Two years is a tiny sacrifice for the privilege of living in the world’s richest nation, unless the nation goes to war. Only then would the term “sacrifice” truly apply, and with a no-exceptions draft policy, it would apply equally to everyone.

I support the president.

I help pay his salary. I do not support his political philosophy, that the only recourse for the terrorist attacks on this nation was to attack yet another nation. That cutting taxes for the wealthy in a time of war will somehow stimulate the economy. That it’s somehow appropriate to award multi-million dollar post-war reconstruction contracts to the vice president’s former colleagues. That laser-guided precision weapons can ever replace well-trained, loyal human beings. I disagree with this president on many issues, but he is the president. There will always be another one, and another one after that.

Wednesday, April 2, 2003

Copyright 2010 by Deborah McAdams. All Rights Reserved. For Reprint Rights, click here.